Published on Sep 5, 2001
We all know the old saying, “Appearances can be deceiving,” or
its brother, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” Unfortunately, when
you’re staring at a press picture featuring a guy whose only hair
is positioned into green-colored spikes, and he’s wearing both
eyeliner and a dog collar, well, I’m sorry, but one is definitely
going to start making judgments. (Pictures like these I usually
post on the walls of the Pierce Memorial Archives, and I ask
visitors, “Would
you buy a used car from this man?”)
The subject in question is Jett, the lead vocalist for the
Chicago-based industrial band From Zero. And, to be truthful, I
probably would have sat on From Zero’s debut release
One Nation Under for some time had it not been thanks to an
incident at my local Target. I was happily shopping through the
music section, wondering how the industry could overinflate the
prices on their product, when I heard a wonderful melody playing
from the department’s in-store TV programming. I looked up – and,
egads, Jett was staring back at me from the monitor.
This was From Zero?
You see, on first glance, I had expected the band to be a
hard-edged industrial group with an appetite for cacophony. In
fact, From Zero is a band who stresses melody and harmony first,
intensity second – and, frankly, it’s a helluva refreshing pace.
One Nation Under had been harshly pre-judged by me – and, in
all actuality, is one incredible disc.
The album’s first single, “Check Ya,” sets the pace for the
group. Oh, sure, you have flashes of heaviness provided from the
band – Jett, guitarists Joe Pettinato and Pete Capizzi, bassist Rob
Likey and drummer Kid – but there’s actually a melody you could hum
that is the backbone of the track. Jett’s vocals are so clearly
delivered and mixed that it’s almost like you’re listening to a Top
40 hit. And – good grief – they dare to use harmony vocals! This is
not your brother’s industrial; this is intense rock taken to levels
I don’t think have been achieved before. From Zero knows they’re
onto something special here – and, quickly, the listener is let in
on the secret.
One Nation Under is filled with such moments of amazement
and discovery, leading the listener through tracks that could
easily be heard on rock radio (memo to program directors: if you
don’t add “Check Ya,” you might as well be playing Britney Spears)
as well as tracks where it feels like the band is letting you view
their emotional catharses. In an ideal world, I could see songs
like “Smack,” “The Other Side” and “Erase” taking positions on the
Billboard charts – and after even one listen, you’ll wonder why
this scenario isn’t reality. Likewise, tracks like “Horrors,”
“Suffering” and “Undeniable” echo pain and self-doubt that would
give Trent Reznor a run for his money – but the tracks don’t
alienate the listener from the pictures that unfold in front of
one’s speakers.
A good amount of credit also has to be shared with David Bianco,
who served as producer, engineer and mixer on
One Nation Under. In the wrong hands, this disc could have
been turned into the musical equivalent of a paint-by-numbers kit.
Ah, but Bianco recognizes he’s working with art, and makes sure
that it comes out in all of its beauty. That’s right – I said
beauty while talking about an industrial-rock album. If you
doubt such a thing is possible, then you haven’t spent 45 minutes
in front of the stereo with this disc.
In an ideal world,
One Nation Under would transform From Zero from a Chicago
band with a following into international superstars. Of course, if
this disc turns some people’s heads and gives their musical genre a
swift kick in the ass, that’s okay, too. From Zero have done
something with their debut that is a rarity: they’ve captured their
essence on the first try. I kind of shudder to think how they’re
going to top this one – but that’s another headache for a later
day. Until then,
One Nation Under is one of the few albums of 2001 that is an
absolute must-own. Discover how wonderfully beautiful industrial
rock can be.